One of the most versatile types of material handling equipment is a hydraulically-operated backhoe, which is typicallly mounted on a tractor or like implement for use. As with all types of material handling equipment, efficient and reliable operation is always a major design consideration, and thus improvements are always being made in such equipment in an effort to enhance efficient and convenient use under the severe operating conditions to which such equipment is typically subjected.
Part of the versatility of a backhoe is achieved by mounting the device on a tractor or the like to permit the backhoe to be operated at any desired work area. To this end, many backhoes are configured for pivotal mounting on an associated implement such that the backhoe is relatively movable from a lowered working position to a raised, so-called transport position. Disposition of the backhoe in the out-of-the-way transport position facilitates convenient movement of the device from one work area to another, while permitting the various hydraulic fluid connections between the backhoe and the associated implement to remain ready for use.
Bearing in mind that minimization of equipment "down time" is always important for enhancing efficiency in material handling operations, it is very desirable to provide a latch mechanism for connecting a backhoe to a material handling implement which facilitates convenient movement of the backhoe between its working and transport positions. At the same time, it is further desirable that such an arrangement be configured to provide a very rigid connection between the backhoe and the implement when the backhoe is in its working position since this lends desired stability to the backhoe, and minimizes wear which can otherwise take place if the interconnection is not sufficiently rigid.
With the above goals in mind, the present backhoe latch mechanism has been specifically configured for reliable and convenient hydraulic operation, and has further been configured to permit the backhoe to be very rigidly connected to the associated implement when the backhoe is in its lowered working position.